Advanced runtime adaptation for Java

Abstract

Dynamic aspect-oriented programming (AOP) enables runtime adaptation of aspects, which is important for building sophisticated, aspect-based software engineering tools, such as adaptive profilers or debuggers that dynamically modify instrumentation code in response to user interactions. Today, many AOP frameworks for Java, notably AspectJ, focus on aspect weaving at compile-time or at load-time, and offer only limited support for aspect adaptation and reweaving at runtime. In this paper, we introduce HotWave, an AOP framework based on AspectJ for standard Java Virtual Machines (JVMs). HotWave supports dynamic (re)weaving of previously loaded classes, and it ensures that all classes loaded in a JVM can be (re)woven, including the classes of the standard Java class library. HotWave features a novel mechanism for inter-advice communication, enabling efficient data passing between advices that are woven into the same method. We explain HotWave's programming model and discuss our implementation techniques. As case study, we present an adaptive, aspect-based profiler that leverages HotWave's distinguishing features.

Rapid development of extensible profilers for the Java virtual machine with aspect-oriented programming

“…Inter-advice communication [20] allows efficient data passing in local variables between advice bodies. This solves the two aforementioned problems, since it does not require the insertion of any wrapper methods and it enables data passing between arbitrary advice woven into the same method body.…”

“…We present an inter-advice communication model [20] for AOP, which has been integrated into MAJOR. Interadvice communication allows for efficiently passing data between advice that are woven into the same method.…”

Dynamic Turing Machine: model and properties for runtime code changes

“…The disadvantage is that the target system must conform to the given architectural style; thus, greatly limiting its form and subsequently causing problems for already-existing legacy systems that were designed in a different way. Moreover, various approaches for specific programming languages and paradigms exist, including Aspect-Oriented Programming [12], software agents [17], and Java [18]. Among the approaches for Java is a paper by Dmitriev [6] in which the runtime changes are applied with the help of a debugger as well as similar low-level tools for Java.…”

Turing Machine Approach to Runtime Software Adaptation

“…For example, Villazón and Binder [11] proposed an approach using aspect-oriented programming dedicated solely for Java. On the other side, Valetto et al [10] rely on the software agents paradigm in their solution, once again for Java.…”